High

Binary Planting in ASPECT Configuration Toolset

IdentifiersCVE-2024-13946CWE-427· Uncontrolled Search Path Element

CVE-2024-13946 is a binary planting issue in ASPECT's configuration toolset affecting ASPECT-Enterprise, NEXUS Series, and MATRIX Series through version 3.*. The product loads DLLs during device commissioning without requiring or verifying that those DLLs are digitally signed. This insecure library loading behavior can allow a malicious DLL to be planted in a location searched by the application and then loaded by the toolset in place of a legitimate library.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation can cause the configuration toolset to load and execute attacker-controlled code in the context of the affected application during device commissioning. Depending on the privileges of the user running the toolset, this may enable arbitrary code execution, compromise of the engineering workstation, tampering with commissioning operations, and potential follow-on access to connected operational technology environments.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Until a fix is applied, restrict write access to directories from which the configuration toolset may load DLLs, especially the application directory, working directory, removable media, and other user-writable paths in the DLL search order. Run commissioning activities only on hardened, trusted workstations, prevent untrusted files from being placed alongside the executable, use application allowlisting or code integrity controls to block unsigned DLLs, and minimize local administrative privileges for users operating the toolset.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade to a vendor-provided fixed release if available for affected ASPECT-Enterprise, NEXUS Series, and MATRIX Series products. The underlying issue should be remediated by enforcing secure DLL loading practices, including loading libraries from trusted absolute paths and requiring signature validation for loaded DLLs where supported. If no patched version is currently available, the information is currently not available beyond the affected-version statement.

PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No valid public exploits. Mallory filtered out 1 candidate as fakes, detection scripts, or README-only repos.

VALID 0 / 1 TOTALView more in app

All candidate exploits were filtered out by Mallory's validation.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

4 sources tracked across advisories and community write-ups. News coverage will land here when it surfaces.

4 SOURCESView more in app

No news coverage yet. Advisories and community discussion only.

What this page doesn’t show

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This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.

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Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity4